In Season: Blueberry Crumb Cake

Like many bakers, I draw my baking inspiration from what looks good at the market. At the moment, the limelight falls on blueberries.It is the peak season for blueberries now, and the best time to devour this antioxidant rich superfood. In Georgia, it has been a good year for the local blueberries farms. Excellent crops have been reported, unlike last year, when the Easter freeze had wiped out 86% of the georgia state's blueberries. The good crop has translated into fresh fruits with an endearing price tag to the consumers. Always a welcoming sight when prices of everything else rockets up.

The blueberries are sweet to eat out of hand, so some have found their ways into my morning bowl of granola and soy milk. Some have been dispatched to decorate a birthday cheesecake, while the rest of the cohorts are turned into this blueberry crumb cake.

The recipe I use for the crumb cake comes from one of my favorite food network host-Ina Garten. Although not a fan of the show itself, I love how simple and tasty her recipes always turn out. The blueberry crumb cake is no exception. It is fitting for a weekend brunch, or as a dessert after dinner, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. I added in another 1/2 cup of blueberries to the recipe, following a suggestion made by a reviewer on the site.

My initial intention has been a thin slice for sampling and photo shoot before sending the rest to OCT's lab. But I like it so much that I succumb to the temptation and sneak another slice onto my plate once my first one is polished! Total lack of abstinance, as OCT would say.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
adopted from Barefoot Contessa via Food Network.com

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries (I used 1.5 cups)
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.

Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

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4th July Cake

I wasn't going to dress up the lemon lavender chiffon cake, but the berries at the market were just too tempting!

Happy 4th July to those who celebrate the festivities!

Here's a virtual slice, from me to you. Recipe coming soon on this space, I promise!

Enjoy the long weekend y'all!

p/s: the berries motif is inspired by this post on The Kitchn.

See what I made last year on 4th July here.

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May Daring Bakers Challenge and My Fallen Opera Cake

I was really excited when the May Daring Bakers Challenge was revealed in the beginning of the month. It is L'Opera, the cake that I have always wanted to tackle, but have constantly putting off because of the many components it requires. Now that our hostesses Ivonne and Lis, together with co-hosts Fran and Shea have chosen it as our May challenge, it gives me the necessary nudge to make it. No excuse to sit on it anymore.

Except, I actually did sit on it until the last minute. Even though I have gone through the possible flavor combinations of the Opera cake for no less than 10 times in my mind, I didn't get to tackle it until 2 days before the posting date. Life is so unpredictable, and May just happens to be a month full of emotional roller coaster rides.

Unlike the classical Opera, in which chocolate and coffee are the dominating flavors; Our hostesses stressed that only light colors are allowed in this challenge. The reason? We want to dedicate our individual Opera Cake to Barbara of Winos and Foodies, the force behind "A Taste of Yellow", a food blog event that unites food bloggers around the globe to rally for LiveStrong Day. "It is Lance Armstrong Foundation's one day initiative to raise awareness and fund for the cancer fight". You can read more about LiveStrong Day here

I settled on a french vanilla buttercream and rhurbarb mascarpone mousse combination for my L' Opera. They tasted exquisite on their own, so I have high hope that the cake would turn out a huge hit. The buttercream was on the runny side when I made it on Monday midnight, but I thought it would firm up once it's chilled. And with that optimistically naive mindset, I charged on and assembled the cake.

As you can see, the buttercream didn't firm up, and I have a fallen Opera cake. Did I tell you that I didn't halve the recipe? The original recipe is good for 20 servings. Arghhhh...I am debating what to do with the rest of the cake. I hate to waste food, so I am risking my reputation (even though I doubt I have any)to shove the cake to OCT new colleagues.

So my first Opera Cake adventure isn't as successful as I have hoped for, but I certainly have fun putting it together. I finally tasted Pierre Herme's French Vanilla Buutercream and the Tartelette inspired rhurbarb mousse. I will certainly try making it again because I love all the components here, or perhaps I will do one with coffee and chocolate, or one with Asian inspired flavors. The flavor combinations are endless if you check out the Opera Cakes our 1000+ Daring Bakers have come up with for this month's challenge. You can check out their fascinating Opera Cakes here

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Looking at the bright side: Mango Mascarpone Mousse Cake

Just the other day, OCT and I lamented on the higher cost of living here in Atlanta, compared to our previous stint in St Louis. Not only do we pay a steeper rent, we also find the price of grocery here more expensive. We could no longer find the one dollar a bunch asparagus, nor 3 for two dollar red bell peppers that we were spoilt with at St Louis Soulard market. The rice which is a staple in our household is five dollars more per bag; even the all purpose flour demands fifty cents more than before.

Surviving on a postdoc fellow income, we certainly feel the pinch. But what good does it serve to whine about things we couldn't change right? Looking at the bright side, I have found some juicy sweet mangoes that could rival those from my childhood. Not to mention, they come with an endearing price tag too. They were fifty cent each in the Dekalb Farmer's Market the last time I looked. I told OCT that I intended to eat mango for breakfast / lunch / dinner / dessert from now on. Like any mango deprived people would do, I loaded a dozen of them into my shopping cart. At the same time, I started to think of all the wonderful things I'd do with them. Sorbet is definitely on the menu. Maybe a tropical tart or pavlova loaded with mango? OCT however, requested for a mango mousse cake. Sure, I can do that. It's only once in a blue moon that my rice-craving husband asks for something sweet for a change.

I don't really have a recipe for the mousse and mango mirror, I simply tasted and adjusted the flavor as I moved along. However, I want to bring your attention to the sponge cake base. The recipe comes from none other than Christopher Kimball, the editor of Cook's Illustrated. He calls it the fool-proof sponge cake. The method of mixing is new to me, and I doubt it would work. But who am I to argue with the editor of Cook's Illustrated, who has all the answers to the perfect recipes of everything under the sun? So I sceptically followed the recipe as it was written. To my surprise, the recipe yielded the most amazing sponge cake I have ever whipped out. Plus it doesn't require much folding, which could intimidate many novice bakers. I highly recommend anyone who needs a fool proof recipe for sponge cake to give this a try.

As for the mango mascarpone mousse and mirror, I promise the recipe will follow, after I have infiltrated my blood stream with enough caffeine tomorrow morning. Or afternoon. ;p Meanwhile, checkout the fool proof sponge cake recipe below.

Foolproof Sponge Cake
adapted from Christopher Kimball'sThe Kitchen Detective

Softened unsalted butter for the pans
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons milk (I used soy milk)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-or-9-inch cake pans and cover pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

Whisk/sieve the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take the sauce pan off the heat and add in vanilla extract; keep the mixture covered and warm.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer or whisk) and reserving the yolks in a small bowl. Beat the whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites to soft, moist peaks. If using a standing mixer transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl (you don't need to clean the bowl).

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and turns a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes. Add in the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.

Sprinkle/sieve the flour mixture over the egg whites and mix on low speed for 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl. Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes. Also make sure that you have incorporated the butter into the mixture. There should not be visible grease/oil as you pour the mixture into the cake pans.

Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, about 16 to 18 minutes for 9-inch cake pans and 20 to 22 minutes for 8-inch cake pans.

Cool completely on racks. Run a thin knife around the inside of the cake pans and then invert them onto the racks (or onto cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms) to release the cakes from the pans. Remove the parchment paper.

To make the Mango Mascarpone Mousse
2 cups mango puree, from 2 large ripe mango
1 teaspoon of lime juice
3/4 cup heavy cream,
3/4 cup mascarpone,
1 (1/4oz)pack of gelatin powder,
1/4 cup sugar or more to taste

Puree flesh of 2 large mango in a blender to obtain 2 cups of mango puree. Add in the lime juice.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder in 1/4 cup of water, set aside for 5 minutes. After that, heat the mixture in microwave for 10 second, until the gelatin has dissolved.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer/hand mixer, beat the mascarpone and sugar until it becomes light, add in the mango puree mixture and beat for another 3 minutes to combine. Taste, make sure that it's slightly sweeter than how you would like the mousse, keep in mind that the heavy cream fold in later will somehow dilute the flavor. Add in extra sugar, one tablespoon at a time until the desired sweetness. Pour the mango-mascarpone mixture to another big bowl, gently stir in the gelatin mixture. Mix well to combine.

Without washing the whisk attachment and mixing bowl, beat heavy cream until medium peak form. Fold the heavy cream into the mango mascarpone mixture.

To assemble:

Using a 8/9-inch sprinform pan or ring, layer one sponge cake at the bottom of the pan, and pour half of the mousse in. Use an offset spatula to smoothen the mousse. Next, layer the second sponge cake on top of the mousse. Follow by the remaining mousse. Cover the mousse with saran wrap and chill the cake while preparing the mirror.

To make the Mango Mirror:
1 cup of mango puree, from one ripe mango
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 a pouch of gelatin powder

Sprinkle the gelatin powder in 1/4 cup of water, set aside for 5 minutes. When the gelatin is softened, microwave the mixture for 10 seconds, until the gelatin has fully dissolved.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of mango puree with 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice and 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, to taste. Mix in the gelatin powder. Once the mirror is made, immediately pour on top of the mousse. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.

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Blogging from Atlanta and My Discovery of Nutella Cupcakes

Hello, friends and readers! I couldn't believe I left you without a word for so long. Packing for the move after Easter and some last minute baking had occupied almost all of my waking hours. Could you believe that we were still frantically packing on our last day before the move? Packing one week prior to the moving date is definitely not a good idea. Anyway, lesson learnt. On April 1st, we left St Louis for Atlanta. Another round of unpacking and furniture shopping ensued. To my surprise, I actually enjoy the unpacking process. It almost feels like presents opening on Christmas morning. Except there isn't new things that I don't already own. That,in a gist, explains my silence for the past weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying Spring, and no one notice my temporary absence.

Coming to a new city is exciting. I discover something new about this place everyday and nothing thrilled me more than knowing there's a few Malaysian restaurants in the vicinity. Although I haven't gotten the chance to visit them, but they will surely be on my "to-eat-list" once we have settled down.

I haven't done any baking in my new kitchen yet, but there were a few things that I baked before our move. Most of them were given away before photographed.You can find them in my past posts like here, here and here. One of the recipes I got to try in an attempt to use up the jar of Nutella was Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes from Nicole's blog- Baking Bites.

I have read rave reviews about it from other bloggers, but never gotten round making it until the last week before our move. What a treat these cupcakes are. And I couldn't believe it took me so long to make it.To be honest, I kind of regretted sending them off after eaten only one of them. One thing for sure, the Nutella cupcakes are going to make an appearance here once I have my kitchen all set up and perhaps I will not share so generously this time. We'll see.

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes
from Baking Bites

10 tbsp(140 grams) butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla essense
1 3/4 cups (200 grams) sifted all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella, 12 teaspoons. (1 teaspoon for each cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy,about 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

Using an ice cream scoop or spoon , fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you’re not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 delicious cupcakes.

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How to Decorate Chiffon Cake for Dinner Party- Vanilla Beans Chiffon Cake

Frosting a cake is hard! Especially when you are a left-handed and have a serious lack of imagination. I know how that feels like, when I tried to decorate the banana cake with caramel espresso frosting. I am contemplating of enrolling myself for the Wilton Cake Decorating classes once I move to Atlanta. I guess I need some help in the decorating department.

Meanwhile, I have found some pretty simple ways to go about the dreadful decorating task when the "I need to bring a presentable dessert to a dinner party" situation arises. Here's what works for me:

1. Keep it Simple. Use one piping tip that can do the job of simple decoration. In my case, it's the Wilton decorating tip #199.
2. Use lots of fruits to disguise the uneven frosting. Berries are natural beauty, sprinkle them however you like, they will turn out pretty. I used blueberries here because they were on sale in the market. As you may already know, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are suitable candidates too.

Voila, 2 simple steps to a dinner party worthy dessert! I hope you find the simple tips useful. :) So, what is your decorating secret?

Vanilla Bean Chiffon Cake
adapted from The Cake Book

2.5 cups sifted cake flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggwhites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and cut out a hole in the middle to fit the center tube of the pan. This cake is baked in an ungreased pan because greasing the pan would keep the batter from rising and gripping the sides of the pan as the cake bakes.

Using a spoon, scrape the small seeds out of the vanilla bean in to a large measuring cup or bowl.Mix in the water, lemon zest, oil and eggyolks. Whisk until well combined.

Over a large piece of parchment paper or bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Add 1 1/4 cups of sugar and salt and stir together.

Make a well in the center of the mixture by pushing the dry ingredients towards the side of the bowl. Add the water + oil + egg yolk + lemon zest mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir together until thoroughly combined.

Place the egg whites in the grease free bowl of an electric mixer or in a large grease free bowl. Using the wire whip attachment or a hand held mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Slowly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whipping until the egg whites hold glossy and firm but not stiff, peaks, about 5 minutes.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter in 3 to 4 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition. Transfer the batter to the tube pan. Use the rubber spatula to smooth and even the top.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (Mine took 45-50 minutes).

Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a cooling rack onto its feet or over a funnel or a thin necked bottle. Let the cake hang to cool completely. Don't set the pan on a cooling rack on its base. This will cause the cake to collapse onto itself.

Don't shake the cake out of the pan before it is cool. Once the cake is cool. use a thin blade knife or flexible blade spatula to run across the outer edge and the inside tube to help release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack, then reinvert onto a serving plate.

Place the cake on a rack over a lined baking sheet.Decorate with any buttercream you like.

Related entry:
How to decorate a Chocolate Cake for dinner party

Hungry for more chiffon cake recipes?
Espresso Chiffon Cake with Caramel/Chocolate Glaze
Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake
Banana Chiffon Cake

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Cleaning the Freezer Part 1: Banana Cake with Caramel Espresso Frosting

As anyone who have moved before can attest, moving to a new place is a hassle. It often involves lots of packing and cleaning.All the clothes,books and other stuffs that one may have well forgotten their existence until being confronted in the most unlikely places. I have to confess that we haven't done much on the packing part. Mostly because we think (1) We still have time (2)We don't have many things to pack (3) I may still need to use that pan/book/CD or wear that jeans/sweather/coat/shirt.

However, I have certainly made some progress with the cleaning part. Cleaning out the freezer that is. There was some scone dough that I baked for OCT to munch on during his busy lab day, and chocolate hazelnut sables dough that I sliced and baked to bring to a dinner party. As I reached deeper into the freezer, there was a bag of bananas. I know I am going to make a batch of my favorite banana bread to bring with us to Atlanta. And the rest would have to be used in other recipes.

Like the banana cake with caramel espresso frosting from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book . I have made so many recipes from this book that makes the purchase worthwhile! If you may kindly divert your eyesight from my horrible frosting, I would love to tell you more about this cake.

Moistened with 3 large bananas and 1/2 cup of non-fat yogurt, and flavored with ground cardamom and ground cinnamon, this banana cake is wholesome on its own, without the frosting.

Having said that, the frosting is definitely one not to be missed! Imagine caramel made from scratch, combined with espresso powder and lots of butter using the french buttercream method. I was full of anticipation as I watched eagerly at the candy thermometer as the temperature rose to the desired degree. And then the caramel was slowly poured into the egg mixture in the mixer. A few seconds of mixing, followed by more caramel pouring, and more mixing later, the kitchen smells like a candy store. Some sticks of butter later, it turned out to be a luscious caramel espresso buttercream that gild right down one's throat.

Honestly, although the cake is great, I think the buttercream is the reason one should give this cake a try. Unfortunately, for the same reason, I decided to use as much buttercream on the cake as possible. Hence explains the catastrophic appearance of the cake. Can you tell from the piping that I was trying to squeeze in all the buttercream onto the cake?

I was really happy when I learned from one of the tasters that the cake was devored within 5 minutes when it made its appearance in the meeting. That shows I am not the only one who doesn't care about the apperance of food, as long as it tastes nice! :D

Want more recipes with bananas?

Banana Chiffon Cake
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
Hummingbird Cake

Banana Cake with Caramel Espresso Frosting
adapted from The Cake Book

for the banana cake:
2.5 cups cake flour
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
0.25 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon ground cardamom
1.5 cups mashed bananas, from about 3 large bananas
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (the original recipe uses sour cream)
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
0.5 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnut/pecan (i used walnut)

Caramel Espresso Buttercream:
(This recipe yields 5 cups of buttercream, I halved it to save some calories and it has enough frosting to cover the cake)

1.25 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown, because that's what I have on hand)
1.25 cups (300ml)heavy cream
0.5 cup light corn syrup
0.25 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

To make the banana cakes:
Position a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pan, and dust with flour.

Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom into a medium bowl, whish to combine and set aside.

Combine the yogurt and mashed banana in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy, and add in the oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat at high speed until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. At medium speed, add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the banana mixture, and mixing until blended.

Stir in the walnut/pecan by hand and divide the batter into two prepared pans. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Note: The cake can be made in advanced and store unfrosted at room temperature, covered with foil for up to 5 days.

To make the caramel espresso buttercream:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and salt to cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring and increase the heat to high.

Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with te whisk attachment, begin beating the eggs at medium speed. When the sugar syrup reaches 225F on a candy thermometer, increase the speed of the mixer to high. Continue to cook the sugar syrup until it reaches 238F.

Remove the pan from the heat and with the mixer off, immediately pour about 1/4 cup of the hot syrup over the beaten eggs. Beat at high speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Turn the mixer off and add another 1/4 cup syrup. Beat at high speed for another 10 seconds. Repeat this process until all the syrup is used. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat at medium high speed until the egg mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes. When you touch the mixing bowl, it should be cold.

At medium speed, beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla extract and coffee mixture, increase the speed to medium high and beat the buttercream until it is smooth and shiny, about 4 minutes.

The buttercream can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 hours, or refrigerate for up to a week; bring to room temperature before using.

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Chocolate Matcha Loaf Cake

Has Spring arrived in your neck of the woods yet? This morning when I looked out from the window, there's still no sign of its arrival yet. I feel cheated when seeing my contacts on Flickr posted their Spring inspired photos, of flowers blooming and people smiling, on a presumably happy Spring day.

Old man winter seems to overstay his welcome here. And I am grumpy, with the view of depressingly barren trees, and the prospect of hunting an apartment which we can call home in Atlanta. We are moving in 2 weeks time, but not a single detail of the move has been finalized.

For a complete lack of wit, allow me to leave you with this chocolate matcha loaf I made, using my favorite low fat recipe from Alice Medrich, which never fails to make me feel better and comforted after a slice.

I am going out for a walk now, hoping to find the slightest hint of Spring's arrival.

For recipe, see here.

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Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake

p/s: if you are reading this via feed, will you drop by my blog and check out my new layout? Although it's still a work in progress, I am happy that it's now cleaner and load faster than before.

Before I was 5 years old, orange was the only fruit I ate. And when being offered the colorful gummy bears or other fruity sweets, I wouldn't hesitate to pick only those with orange flavor. In fact, I would rather being offered Smarties, Kitkat or the Cadbury Chocolate, especially the one with hazelnut. That was my absolute favorite.

I couldn't remember how I outgrew the orange phrase, or rather what mum did to coax me to give other fruits a chance, but orange remains one of my favorite fruits. Even though nowaday I have also added lemon, mango, durian, cherry, apple, pear and grape to my favorite fruit list too.
I love eating oranges out of hand, and would usually choose to peel them by hand. I simply enjoy the process of peeling oranges. I love how after the vitamin C packed fruit is devored, its fragrant aroma lingers on the fingers.

As much as I love oranges, I seldom bake with them. My partner, who declared that he had eaten enough orange cake for a lifetime during his National Service forbid the presence of such cake in the house. Honestly I could hardly picture anyone eating orange cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner for one whole month! So OCT is an orange cake phobic. Everytime when I suggest to make an orange cake, he would wince and ask me to reconsider.

But I want to bake something with the beautiful oranges that I have just bought. In an attempt to make myself feel less guilty, I shall proceed and name this cake- Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake. Even though the batter has only 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier, and as much as 3/4 cup of orange juice. No, the mention of orange chiffon cake will not be accepted in this household. But Grand Marnier chiffon cake is a totally different matter. It is soon being fully endorsed by my partner who is averse to orange cake! So you see, naming the food is as important as the food itself, if not more in this hiffon cake case.

You can omit the Grand Marnier if you don't have it on hand, but I love how it enhances the flavor of the chiffon cake. We eat the cake as it is without any frosting or glaze. But feel free to use the bittersweet gananche that accompany the recipe, should you need something more elaborate for a dinner party.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake (a.k.a Orange Chiffon Cake)

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (I used juices from 3 oranges and top up the volume with water)
1/2 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, separated ( I used 1 1/4 cup of sugar)
6 extra large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
confectioner sugar, for dusting

For Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache (optional):
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 72% chocolate), finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons rum
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325F.

Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and cut out a hole in the middle to fit the center tube of the pan. This cake is baked in an ungreased pan because greasing the pan would keep the batter from rising and gripping the sides of the pan as the cake bakes.

In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the orange juice, grand marnier, orange zest, oil,vanilla and eggyolks. Whisk until well combined.

Over a large piece of parchment paper or bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and salt and stir together.

Make a well in the center of the mixture by pushing the dry ingredients towards the side of the bowl. Add the orange juice mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir together until thoroughly combined.

Place the egg whites in the grease free bowl of an electric mixer or in a large grease free bowl. Using the wire whip attachment or a hand held mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Slowly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whipping until the egg whites hold glossy and firm but not stiff, peaks, about 5 minutes.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter in 3 to 4 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition. Transfer the batter to the tube pan. Use the rubber spatula to smooth and even the top.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.(Mine took 45-50 minutes).

Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a cooling rack onto its feet or over a funnel or a thin necked bottle. Let the cake hanf to cook completely. Don't set the pan on a cooling rack on its base. This will cause the cake to collapse onto itself.

Don't shake the cake out of the pan before it is cool. Once the cake is cool. use a thin blade knife or flexible blade spatula to run across the outer edge and the inside tube to help release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack, then reinvert onto a serving plate.

Place the cake on a rack over a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if using.

*optional*
Making Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
Heat cream, sugar, rum in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers and bubbles forming on the sides of saucepan. Remove from heat and pour cream over chopped chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, stir to melt chocolate with hot cream until the mixture turns glossy and smooth. Let the chocolate ganache cool to pouring consistency. Pour over the chiffon cake.

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Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I have been wanting to tell you about the last cheesecake I made from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook before we left for vacation. It was the best vanilla bean cheesecake I have tasted in a long time. I have the recipe neatly typed and saved in the draft but never gotten around posting it. Mostly because the only photo I have taken of the cheesecake was a poorly lit and hideous one. It simply doesn't do the cake justice, let alone convincing you, my friends, that it's the best vanilla bean cheesecake one could ever ask for.

So, upon returning from vacation, I took this mission of capturing the beauty of the best vanilla bean cheesecake upon myself. This cheesecake entry deserves a better photo than the first hideous one I took!But really, if you know me well, you know that this is only half the truth. The bigger motivation for repeating the recipe, I am afraid, is the imminent expiring dates printed on the few bars of cream cheese I overbought on discount. OCT said I am so predictable.

As a trademark of the famous Junior's Cheesecakes, this cake has a sponge cake crust. Although it takes a few more steps to prepare the sponge cake, I find the outcome more than worth the effort it demands. Even if you are a hardcore cookies crust fan, I encourage you to give it a shot. Either way, the real star here is the cheesecake filling speckled with vanilla beans. The original recipe has the vanilla flavor infused by sticking the vanilla pod in the sugar overnight, and uses vanilla extract in the filling. I pumped up the vanilla flavor by scraping out the morsels and added them into the batter after the overnight infusion.

If you love cheesecake, I am sure you will like this one. In fact, all the cheesecake recipes from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook have garniered nothing but rave reviews from my tasters. I have to wait until Easter for another round of cheesecake baking. Meanwhile, be prepared to see some bread posts ahead!

Have a great weekend and stay warm, y'all!

You may also like:
Apple Cheesecake
Mango Cheesecake
Tropical Cheesecake

Other cheesecake recipes from the same book:
Little Fellas Raspberry Swirl
Little Fellas Cappuccino
Little Fellas Chocolate Swirl

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook

four 8-ounce packages Philidaphia Cream Cheese (I use 3 packages of 1/3 less fat Neufchtel and 1 package of original cream cheese), at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean (about 7 inches long)
1 recipe 9-inch Junior's Sponge Cake Crust, recipe below
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs ( 3 large eggs are fine too)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
one half pint fresh raspberries (about 6 ounces) (optional)
confectioners's sugar

The night before you plan to make this cake, put the granulated sugar in a small bowl and bury the vanilla bean in it, covering it completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight to flavor the sugar. When you are ready to make the cake, set the vanilla bean for later use.

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F)Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springformpan. Wrap the outside with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of vanilla flavored sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3cups vanilla sugar, then the scraped vanilla beans and vanilla extract. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake on a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch u the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let the cake cool for 2 hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.

Wash and drain the raspberries and place them on paper towels to dry, if using. Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Put some confectioners' sugar in a tea stainer and sift enough over the top of the cake to evenly cover it with a fine dusting. Decorate the top with raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate, or remove the decorations, wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Junior's sponge cake crust

for one 9-inch cake crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (or zest of half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

for one 8-inch cake crust:
1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I used zest from half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 8- or 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outsde with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Beat the eggyolks in large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.

Now wash the bowl and beaters really well (even a little fat is left, this can cause the eggwhite not to whip). Put the eggwhites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remainining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. It's ok if you see a few white specks, they will disappear during baking.

Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (not wet and sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.

Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake Crust
Use the above recipe and technique, except you stir in 2 ounces of melted and slightly cooled bittersweet chocolate when you add the extracts.

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Meet the rest of the little fellas...

After a 26 hours of grueling travel, I am happy to report that we have safely arrived at the sunny Singapore, the first leg of our home visit. The long haul flight was undoubtedly exhaustive, but the joy of meeting our loved ones is priceless.

While I am happily catching up with friends, family and delicious local food, here's the recipes of another two little fellas from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook, which I promised to share earlier. Although there are other drool-worthy cheesecakes in the book, I ended up making another two recipes of mini cheesecakes, otherwise known as little fellas. I am simply hooked with the neatness of baking the cheesecake into individual portion. They are the perfect sizes for this baker who is still trying to shed some festivities pounds but couldn't say no to dessert. :) I love the fact that they take lesser time to bake and don't crack as easily as their bigger brother.

So far, I have tried four recipes from the Juniors Cheesecakes Cookbook, and I must admit that I am totally sold on their claim to make "The World's Most Fabulous Cheesecake". These are really the creamiest and tastiest cheesecakes I have ever eaten.

Little Fella Chocolate Swirls
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors)

two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs (I used large eggs)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1.5 tablespoons unsweetend cocoa powder
Chocolate curl (optional, for decoration)
One 12-ounce jar hot fudge ice cream topping (optional), warmed

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and stir in the cocoa.

Divide the white batter among the 12 muffin cups. Drop a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate batter in the center of each, pushing each down slightly. Using a small knife or skewer, cut through the batter until dark swirls appear.

Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is. Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours.
*note: instruction from the book: After 2 hours of cooling, cover cake with plastic wrap (do not remove from the tin) and put in the freezer until cold, at least one day.

To remove the cakes, lift them out with your hands and peel off the liner. Although I find it more convenient to hold and eat it with the liner on. For a dressier version, place the cakes, top side up, on a serving platter or individual dessert plates, Top with the chocolate curls if you wish and refrigerate. Serve drizzled with the hot fudge sauce, if you wish. If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Little Fella Raspberry Swirls
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors)

1/3 cup raspberry preserve
two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs (I used large eggs)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
13 fresh raspberries (large and pretty ones)

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F) Line 13 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.(if you have only 12, use a custard cup for the thirteenth one. I use the Reynold's disposable aluminium foil cups.)

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix.

Divide the batter among the 13 muffin cups(fill each one almost up to the top). Drop a heaping half teaspoon of the raspberry preserve in the center of each, pushing each down slightly. Using a small knife or skewer, cut through the batter until raspberry swirls appear.Do not mix in the puree completely or the cakes will turn pink and the swirls will disappear.

Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is. Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours.
*note: instruction from the book: After 2 hours of cooling, cover cake with plastic wrap (do not remove from the tin) and put in the freezer until cold, at least one day.

To remove the cakes, lift them out with your hands and peel off the liner. Although I find it more convenient to hold and eat it with the liner on. For a dressier version, place the cakes, top side up, on a serving platter or individual dessert plates, Top with fresh raspberries if you wish and refrigerate. If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

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Light Dessert : Lemon Angel Food Cake

Dear friends who are trying to lose weights:

Some said there's a season for everything. And eating seasonal is the way to go. So what has the angel food cake has anything to do with seasonal eating? Everything!

Remember your new year resolutions to lose weights? This is also the time of the year I pulled out my tube pan and make angel food cake, the fat-free dessert I adore. Combined with my favorite citrus, I don't mind eating it whether I am on diet or not. Come to think of it, I don't remember myself being on diet before, except for the two weeks leading to my wedding. The stake of not able to fit into the custom-made wedding gown was far too high!

Anyway, my point is- whether you are on a diet or not, don't skip desserts! At least I won't. All we (I mean, you who are staring at this screen have considered of losing weights after the festive eating, no?) need is a good strategy. No point eating a bite of brownie which make you crave for more, (and end up doing just that) or a tiny sliver of cheesecake which could easily be blown away by the strong gush winter wind. I rather have a healthy serving of a piece of this. This airy, flavorful, fat free, good for you angel food cake!

Since new year is about a healthier, slimmer and prettier you, where not pair the angel food cake with a cup of warm honey lemon drink? Some experts claim that it's good for detox. There are some really gluesome regimes for body detox, but for me, honey lemon drink is a sweeter way to do it.

If lemon is not your thing, you can easily substitute it with orange, lime or grapefruit. I am sure you can also try clementine and tangerine, although the flavors may not be as assertive as the rest. I am waiting for the meyer lemon season to come, so that I can make a Meyer Lemon Angel Food Cake.

Lemon Angel Food Cake
adapted from The Best Light Recipe (The Best Recipe)

1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour
1.5 cuos (10.5 ounces) sugar
12 larg eggwhites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsps grated lemon zest

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325F. Have ready an ungreased 9-inches, 16 cups tube pan.

Whisk flour and 3/4 cup sugar in a small bowl, set aside. In a dry, clean electric mixer bowl, beat eggwhites on low speed until foamy. Add in cream of tartar and salt, and increase speed to medium high. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, untill all the sugar is added and the whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Beat in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, lemon zest until just blended.

Sift the flour mixture over the whites, about 1/4 cup at a time, and gently fold it in using a large rubber spatula. Gently scrape the batter the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Give the pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, 55 to 60 minutes.

If the cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert the pan onto them. If the pan does not have prongs, invert the pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Let the cake cool completely upside down.

To unmold, run a knife or long offset spatula around the edges of the cake pan, being careful not to separate the golden crust from the cake. You can either loosen the cake from the center with a wire cake tester, skewer or offset spatula.Slide the cake with the removable cake bottom out of the pan . Run a knife between the cake and the pan bottom to loosen, then gently flip the cake onto a platter, bottom side facing up. (which is also the more presentable side)

The cake tastes best when served the same day it is made. But we enjoy it just as much in the following few days.

Serves 16.

Per serving: cal 150; fat 0 g; Sat Fat 0 g; Chol 0 mg; Carb 33 g; Protein 4 g; Fiber 0 g; sodium 105 mg

Edit: I have added the nutritional info per serving as provided by the recipe for those who are interested. Note that although the cake is fat free and taste really yummy, don't attempt to finish it in a day on top of other tempting food you are already eating. :)

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Daring Bakers December Challenge : Yule Log

I am excited when I knew that we are making Yule Log for our December Daring Baker challenge.I have been toying with the idea of making one for Christmas since November but just isn't sure if I will have the determination to follow through. Since our hosts Ivonne and Lis have chosen Yule Log as our December challenge, I have no reason not to make it this year!

After much procastination, I made my yule log last Monday for OCT department Christmas party on the next day. Initially I was planning to play around with the filling, but I love coffee flavor so much that I decided to just stick with the coffee buttercream as filling and frosting. I added Kahlua in the buttercream instead of brandy, which the recipe suggested. I also added a thin layer of Nutella in the filling to make it extra decadent. That was the creativity I have left after many rounds of cookie recipes testing.

The Yule Log was well received at the party and I wished I brought my camera along. The meringue mushrooms piqued the interest of a few children in the party and they are intrigued by its appearance and "melt in the mouth" texture.

The Yule log is a fun and rewarding challenge and I can't wait to meet the other 400+ yule logs. Be sure to check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see other beautiful creations my fellow Daring Bakers come up with! Maybe you will get inspired to make one for Christmas too.

Genoise cooling and waiting to be filled

I wish I could tell you more about this month challenge, but time is of the essence around here. There's a cheesecake baking in the oven and many cookies that needed to be decorated and packed for our party tomorrow. OCT is helping me pack some of the cookies while I sneak out to blog here. I should have started the cookies baking earlier. Maybe I will start in October next year.Or maybe June, given my snail-like speed.

Yule Log
from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri and The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert

Plain Genoise:

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour - spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)
¼ cup cornstarch
one (1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

(note: I made a chocolate genoise. To make a chocolate genoise, use 1/3 cup cake flour, 1/3 cup corn starch and 1/4 cup cocoa powder)

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).

4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.

5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.

6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.

9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.

10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Coffee Buttercream:

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy (I used Kahlua)

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.(around 160F)

2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.


Meringue Mushrooms:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1.Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.

2.Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.

3.Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.

Assembling the Yule Log:

1.Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.

2.Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.

3.Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.

4.Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you’re using).

5.Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.

6.Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.

7.Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.

8.Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.

9.Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.

10.Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.

11.Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.

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Lemon Lavender Cake, the real deal.

Remember the lemon lavender cake I blogged about two weeks ago? That was my attempt of recreating the one we have at Macrina Bakery & Cafe in Seattle last September. Apparently, the recipe can be found in the one of the Macrina cookbooks. Unfortunately, I have no luck locating it in Barnes & Noble or Borders. Being a smart consumer (ahem), I am not going to make a purchase through Amazon without having a glimpse of the layout and contents of the cookbook.

So, I sent out an "SOS" asking for help on the Cookinglight Bulletin Board. Within an hour, I got the recipe from two members, Felice and Dorothy. Their response meant a world to me, and I could not describe how grateful I felt towards their effort in providing me the recipe. For that, I decided to bake the cake the next day, even though I have just finished making another dessert. I think I could always give some to our friends.

The taste of the cake reminded me of the one I have in Seattle, simply delicious! I omitted the glaze to cut down on the overall sweetness of the cake. Apart from that, its texture was as fine as the one we ate at Macrina. According to the owner Leslie Mackie, the lemon lavender coffee cake is an adaptation of their popular Lemon sour cherries coffee cake. The dried tart cherries is swapped with one tablespoon of dried lavender. I am going to give the famed recipe a try one day, but meanwhile, the lemon lavender coffee cake taste heavenly with a cup of honey lemon tea!

If lemon + lavender is your cup of tea, do give this recipe a try. The smell of lavender while the cake is baking in the oven is the best aromatherapy I could ask for! Of course if you stay in Seattle, you can always get your fix at Macrina Bakery & Cafe.


Lemon Lavender Coffee Cake
adapted from Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook via Felice.

For the batter
1 tbsp dried lavender (swap 1½ cups dried tart cherries for lemon-sour cherries coffee cake)
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
5 eggs
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt ( I used sour cream)

For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried lavender

Preheat the oven to 325F. Oil a 12-cup bundt pan.

Preparing the batter
(If making lemon sour cherries coffee cake:Place dried cherries in a medium bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let soak and plump for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly and check for pits.)

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda,and salt into a large bowl. Add in the dried lavender. Toss with your hands and set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 5 to 8 minutes. The mixture will become smooth and pale in color. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully mixed into the butter before adding another. After the last egg is incorporated, slowly add the lemon juice and mix for 1 more minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 30 seconds to make sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture and the yogurt to the batter, mixing with a wooden spoon just until all dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter.(If making the sour cherries cake: Set aside 10 to 12 cherries for garnish and gently fold the remainder into the batter, taking care not to overmix.) Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, filling two thirds of the pan. Bake on center rack of oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Check the center of the coffee cake with a skewer. It will come out clean when the cake is finished. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.

Loosen the sides of the cake with a sharp knife. Place serving plate, upside down, on the top of the cooled bundt pan and invert the pan to remove the cake. Let cake cool completely.

Glazing the cake
Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl, then add lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the cooled coffee cake and top with reserved dried lavender (or plumped cherries).

Note: I used a 10-cups bundt pan, there's some leftover batter that was enough to make 3 cupcakes.

The cake is so good...even lion wants a slice.

Disclosure: Ok, these playmobils are OCT's. They are lying around, so I decided to borrow them as props. Sometime I wonder if OCT is my husband or my son?!

OCT: "You missed the sword!"

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How to decorate Chocolate Cake for dinner party

Actually there are a few recipes that I wanted to share. But I am willing to let this entry jumps the queue, seeing that it's Thanksgiving this Thursday, and you may want some dessert ideas, other than pumpkin pie.

This is the chocolate cake I made for a dinner party last Friday. The cake and frosting is a combination I have made in the past. I feel more comfortable bringing a tried and true dessert to any party, as oppose to something new and potentially exciting. Call me inadventurous, I certainly don't want to use it as an opportunity to experiment with new recipes. Hey, it is my reputation at stake. Although I am not sure if I have one at the moment. Having said that, I am pretty sure the nice people in OCT's lab wouldn't mind being my guinea pigs. Which in a way,they already are, eating whatever I conjure most of the Fridays.

As much as I enjoy baking, cake decorating is something I dread. I can't pipe anything without being mistaken as a child's work. Cake decorating is undoubtedly one aspect that I need to work on. For the time being, my idea of decorating consists of microwave melted chocolate in a ziploc bag, and snipped off a tiny hole at one corner to trace a simple pattern.

As you can see, my drawing is pretty untidy. There's even a puddle of white chocolate in the center of the cake, where the circles intersect. I had no choice but to cover it with some hazelnuts. Luckily, I always keep a selection of nuts on hand.

As for the lady fingers on the sides, they were there for a reason. Their mission was to cover the somewhat bare sides I left behind, after realizing I didn't make enough frosting to cover the whole cake. The pack of lady fingers is the hero that saved my day. :)

A ribbon tied around the cake make the recipient feel special, and hold all lady fingers in place.

This is just my 2 cents on how to decorate a cake without resorting to the piping bag and tips. So, what are you making for Thanksgiving?

Chocolate Lovers' Chocolate Cake
cake base and filling adapted from this recipe

cake
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Filling:(enough to fill one layer)
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache
(adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet)
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces 72% chocolate
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

For the ganache: (used as topping)
1/3 cup (3 oz) heavy cream
4 ounces best-quality bittersweet/dark chocolate

Decoration:
lady fingers, soaked briefly in syrup (heat some raspberry preserve and water in a saucepan, sugar to taste)
melted white chocolate

Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper; butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt at low speed. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs and vanilla. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.

Make the whipped gananche:
Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan until it bubbles on the edges and immediately pour it over the chocolate. Allows the heat from the cream to melt the chocolate.Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Slowly stir to make sure that the chocolate has completely melted. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight, and whip the ganache only when ready to use.

Make the gananche :
Bring 1/3 cup of heavy cream to a near boil in a small saucepan.When it is steaming well, remove it from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir or whisk until the chocolate is melted. The mixture should be smooth. Let stand until the ganache is warm enough to be poured over the cake.

Assemble the cake:
Set a cake layer on a plate with the flat side facing up. Evenly spread the whipped ganache over the cake. Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread a thin layer of the whipped gananche over the top and side of the cake. Arrange lady fingers immediately around the cake.

Pour the gananche to cover the top of the cake.Unleash your imagination and use the melted chocolate to sketch whatever pattern that strike your fancy. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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